Moriah's Landing Bundle

by Amanda Stevens

  He slid his hand inside the waistband of her pants, feeling her belly contract at his touch. Wicked, hot pleasure assailed him, but from somewhere, a core of sanity surfaced.

  “We can’t,” Drew said miserably.

  “What?”

  Slumberous with molten desire, her green eyes were half closed by passion. Brie shook her head as if trying to understand. Drew withdrew his hand, pulling her body against the wall of his chest.

  “I don’t have any protection. We already have one child. We aren’t going to create another one until we both decide the time is right.”

  She pulled away and stood, turning her back to him. He watched her fumble with her clothing.

  “Brianna.” He touched her back lightly. Her spine stiffened beneath his fingers. She walked deeper into the clearing. “I want you so badly I’m shaking, too. I can see you in my mind, hot and naked, and it’s making me crazy.” His voice broke because he was very much afraid he’d give in to the explosive desire filling his mind and his body.

  “We’ve already made love on a sand dune. Wouldn’t you like to try a bed? Our bed—here—in our house? I didn’t bring you here to make love to you. I brought you here to share my dream. This is my spot. I’d like to make it our spot. I’m going to put the master bedroom there, where you’re standing and—Are you crying?”

  “No.” She brushed a hand across her face, but she didn’t turn around. “We’ll put the bedroom where the rock is,” she said decisively, though her voice was thick with unshed tears. “I want the kitchen table right here, so we can sit and watch the foxes come and go.”

  Drew relaxed. Hope rose in his chest. “All right, we’ll compromise. When we sit down with the architect, we’ll see what he says.”

  “There’s a storm coming.”

  Drew looked up, seeing nothing but blue sky and a few white clouds. “What?”

  She turned to face him. The only trace of passion was the slight puffiness around her lips.

  “The pressure’s falling. It’s coming in fast. We have to get back to the guest house.”

  Once again he looked to the sky but saw nothing threatening.

  “Drew, we have to get back!”

  THICK, DARK CLOUDS CHASED across the sky. From his hiding place the man glanced up through the canopy of leaves in surprise as lightning cleaved a jagged path, heralding the rumble of distant thunder. The suddenness of the squall took him by surprise.

  He’d been observing the woman and the two children at play, trying to decide if they were alone. The clap of thunder startled the tiny kitten. It scampered directly toward his hiding place. The little boy set off in pursuit. The woman yelled and went after him.

  He tensed, preparing to grab his victim. A twig snapped beneath an incautiously placed foot behind him. It could have been an animal, but he knew it wasn’t. Someone else was in the woods.

  Swearing silently, he slipped away, angrily abandoning his plan. There’d be another time. He’d see to it. His body tightened in anticipation.

  THUNDER CRASHED OVERHEAD as Drew drove along the twisty, tree-covered lane to the guest house. Brie suddenly peered out the side window. “Was that Carey?”

  “Where?”

  “I saw someone in the woods over there. It was just a glimpse, but it looked like him.”

  “More than likely it was my Uncle Geoffrey. He lives in the guest house on the other side of those trees. He’s been skulking about the grounds at odd hours a lot lately.”

  “How comforting. Why?”

  “I’ve no idea, but I mean to find out. Uncle Geoff’s weird, but he’s harmless.”

  At least Drew hoped he was. Drew had been checking into his uncle’s activities lately without a lot of success. Some of the rumors were starting to make him distinctly uneasy.

  “You know,” Brie was saying, “the word cottage has a whole different meaning in my part of town. This place is bigger than my mother’s house. How many are there?”

  “Only three. They were designed to be near the main house, yet give the occupants a full measure of privacy. I’m living in the one in the opposite direction.”

  “You don’t live at the main house?”

  “Not since I came home from college. Do you want to see?”

  The tension simmering between them since he’d touched her in the clearing rose to the surface once more. Drew watched her breathing quicken, her eyes soften. She was so expressive. He didn’t remember much about that night on the beach, but he knew she was a responsive lover.

  “Maybe later. I should check on my mom and the kids. She had one of her headaches this morning.”

  A torrent of rain engulfed the car. Lightning exploded across the sky. As Drew pulled up he saw Pamela Dudley herding two sopping-wet children through the backyard, the bedraggled kitten tucked under her arm.

  “Looks like your mom and the kids got caught in the rain.” Drew reached for Brie’s arm before she could open the door. “About what happened back there in the woods—”

  Green fire danced in her eyes. “As I recall, nothing happened other than a couple of kisses. Were you planning to apologize?”

  Again.

  “Only for not being prepared, but given how you feel about my apologies, I’ll settle for promising you that the next time I get you alone in a magical clearing, not even a thunderstorm is going to stop me from making love to you.”

  Her lips parted in surprise. Her pulse jumped in her throat. His body tightened.

  “I’ll keep that in mind. Are you coming in?”

  “Not right now. But I’ll be back.”

  She nodded jerkily, opened the door and sprinted toward the front of the cottage. Watching her go, Drew wondered how it was he kept blundering so badly around Brie. He was normally accomplished at the art of seduction. It wasn’t like him to forget something so elemental as protection. It was almost as if some other force were at work here, determined to keep them apart.

  Drew pulled his thoughts from Brie to his uncle. They needed to talk. But no car sat in front of his uncle’s cottage. Drew waited for the rain to slow, then ran to the front door. There was no answer and no sound from inside. Twisting the handle, he was disturbed when it gave beneath his fingers.

  “Uncle Geoff?” Nothing happened when he flicked on the light switch. The power often went out during thunderstorms. A strange, unpleasant smell permeated the house. Apparently, his uncle had stopped the maids. Even without light, the place needed to be dusted and vacuumed. Dirty dishes were piled everywhere. The stove was splattered with grease and bits of dried food. The smell of rotting garbage made his stomach roil in protest.

  The wrongness about the cottage set his teeth on edge. Rain beat a tattoo against the roof and windows as he investigated the bedrooms. His uncle had been using the smallest room as an office, but it had been stripped of everything. In the master bedroom the unmade bed had been slept in, but there wasn’t a single personal item anywhere in the room—or, as it turned out—anywhere in the house. His uncle was gone.

  Chapter Eleven

  Brie had to force herself to sit calmly as Dr. Manning tied the rubber tourniquet around her upper arm. Even here in this brightly lit laboratory on the campus grounds, Leland Manning gave off an aura that was deeply unsettling. The intensity of his stare unnerved her. All she could think about were mad scientists and evil experiments.

  As she felt the soft bite of the needle, Brie had the strongest desire to pull her arm back and refuse to allow him to take the promised blood. It didn’t matter that he was also going to run the blood test she needed for the wedding. She didn’t like Leland Manning. She had to force herself to remain still as her blood ran down the hollow tube of plastic and into the small glass test tube.

  “I understand you have a child. A little girl, isn’t it?” he asked.

  She gazed around at the laboratory, anywhere except those disturbing eyes.

  “Yes.”

  “I was wondering if you’d mind if I took a sample of her
blood, as well.”

  Brie jerked her arm. The needle tore loose and blood welled at the site of the tiny puncture wound.

  “I’m sorry, Dr. Manning.”

  “Quite all right,” he said stiffly. “I have enough for my purposes. About your daughter…”

  She fought a sense of revulsion. “No! I’m sorry, but Nicole is terrified of needles. She’s a worse subject than I am. She can never hold still and I couldn’t possibly subject her to having her blood drawn unless it was vital to her health.”

  “Not even if it meant I could lower the cost of your mother’s treatments a bit more?”

  “No. I’m sorry.”

  “Ah, yes, money isn’t an issue for you any longer, is it?”

  Something in his tone made her stomach constrict. “You know, Dr. Manning, Drew wasn’t responsible for your wife’s death.”

  He stared at her coldly. “So the police told me.”

  His flat tone and stony expression warned her off. “If we’re finished, I’ll go and check on my mother.”

  “I’ve offended you.”

  No, you’ve frightened me, but she managed not to say that out loud. Brie shook her head as he applied gauze over the small wound.

  “No? Good. I should have the results of your mother’s tests back in a few days. Naturally, I’ll need to discuss her case with her oncologist before we proceed.”

  “Dr. Thornton said he’d be more than happy to assist in any way he can.”

  “Excellent. If all goes well, we can set up a schedule for her early next week.”

  “Would it affect anything if we wait until after the wedding? Mrs. Pierce has been keeping her rather busy.”

  “The wedding is next weekend, is it not?”

  “Yes. Will you be able to attend?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it.”

  She tried not to shudder.

  “We shall just hope that tropical depression down south stays put and doesn’t turn into a full-scale hurricane. It was on the news this morning. The weather service is monitoring the situation.”

  No wonder she’d been feeling edgy. Brie reached for her purse. “Dr. Manning, tell me honestly, does my mother have a chance of recovering?”

  “Gene therapy is experimental.”

  “I know. I just wondered—”

  “I anticipate the drug will go to the altered cancer cells and force them to become a suicide potion for the cancer itself. Gene therapy is still in its infancy, my dear, but there is every reason to believe this will work. Your mother may die, but I expect to learn enough to benefit others.”

  Her mother may die. He said it in the same tone he’d used to tell her about the tropical storm. If there was any other recourse available…but there wasn’t. Leland Manning was her mother’s only hope.

  “I understand.”

  “Do you? I wonder.”

  His eyes bore into hers. Brie wanted to cringe away until the brightness of his stare faded.

  “I’d like you to reconsider allowing me to test your daughter. Her blood would be quite beneficial…to my research.”

  Not for any reason whatsoever. Brie now understood completely why people called Manning a vampire behind his back. “I’ll think about it.”

  “Very well.” He picked up the vial of her blood and turned away dismissively.

  Brie left the laboratory as quickly as possible. She needed someone to talk to about Manning and his research. Someone who would understand. Someone like Elizabeth! She was a certified genius and science was her specialty. Maybe they could meet for dinner or something.

  Unfortunately, Maureen had made other plans. With the wedding extravaganza in progress, Brie’s input was suddenly vital on every aspect. Thrown into the deep end of the Pierce social whirl, she was only grateful that Becca had arranged a suitable wardrobe for not only Brie, but her mother and Nicole, as well. Items continued to arrive from Boston on a regular basis. In addition to designing the wedding gown and her mother’s dress, Becca was also helping in the selection of the other three dresses.

  Elizabeth had agreed to act as her maid of honor, Kat would serve as bridesmaid and Nicole would be flower girl, while Kat’s little brother, Brandon, would be the ring bearer. Brie was the only one who wasn’t surprised when Drew asked Zach, rather than Carey, to serve as his best man. Brie had watched with pleasure as the two brothers had grown close over the past couple of weeks. While Carey agreed to serve as usher, he seemed to be avoiding Drew as much as possible.

  Elizabeth wanted to give Brie a wedding shower, but they couldn’t fit it into her busy schedule. Maureen insisted Brie and her mother meet with florists, chefs, photographers, musicians and countless others involved in the wedding production. Then there was the visit with Maureen’s favorite hair stylist and makeup artist. She’d had Alfred and his assistant brought in from a Boston salon.

  Brie had dreaded the event and was tremendously surprised. The stocky Alfred and his shy assistant actually asked questions about her preferences…and he listened. Aware of Drew’s desire that she keep her hair long, he came up with a fantastic compromise. He layered the back, leaving the length, but cut the front, taming the unruly curls around her face to add volume and height. The style was not only flattering, but a lot less work to care for. Even Drew seemed pleased.

  Not that the two of them had had any time alone together, and when they were, Drew seemed preoccupied.

  Curiously, the attacks on Drew had stopped right after the Fourth of July parade. In the past two weeks things had been unusually quiet around town—like the warning silence before a storm. Brie didn’t believe it was a coincidence that Mayor Thane had been out of town since then. Drew was still searching for Razz and Dodie, but even Cullen Ryan couldn’t find the pair.

  Twice she’d glimpsed someone—or something—sliding among the trees in the woods. She made sure the alarm in the cottage was set at all times and warned her mother not to let Nicole out of her sight. But as nothing happened, Brie began to lose some of her caution.

  Three days before the wedding, Brie was summoned to the main house. She ignored the shiny new car and set off on foot. She realized her mistake when a rustling sound brought her to a heart-pounding stop. Someone was following her. She’d left her purse and her can of mace at the cottage. Would anyone hear her if she screamed?

  The branches parted. David Bryson stepped partially into view. She glimpsed the scar that ran down the side of his face before his long hair fell forward, covering the mark. Brie tried not to stare. He was dressed in black from his dark hair to his black shoes, and he seemed to melt into the shadows.

  “David! You scared me! What are you doing here?”

  “It isn’t safe to walk alone.”

  “I think you effectively made that point.”

  “Then let me make another. If you go through with this wedding, watch yourself. The Pierce family isn’t loved by everyone.”

  Fear lifted the hairs on the back of her arms. “What do you mean? Wait, David, don’t go!” But he slipped back into the trees as silently as a ghost.

  She’d wanted to invite David to the wedding, but the harsh feelings between David and the Pierce clan ran deeper than the death of Tasha. The family had always hated the fact that David had bought the castle, called the Bluffs, out from under them.

  So what had David been doing here? He certainly wasn’t here by invitation. Should she tell Drew? Not telling him felt disloyal, but she didn’t share Drew’s hatred, even if David made her uneasy.

  Troubled, she hurried along.

  “I’m pretty sure I saw Mrs. Pierce in the solarium,” a harried worker said distractedly when she asked.

  Brie disliked the humid room filled with plants. And not just because Elizabeth had found a body hanging from the rafters in there this past winter. The solarium reminded Brie of a jungle run amok with its earthy smells and trailing vines. She wouldn’t have been at all surprised to find a lion stalking her through the place. She was crossing the tiled flo
or when raised voices made her pause. Geoffrey Pierce and Drew were approaching, locked in what sounded like a bitter personal discussion.

  Brie quickly dodged behind an impossibly tall giant fern tree, not wanting to interrupt. But when the two men came to a halt, she found herself trapped, an unwilling listener.

  “That is my business and none of your concern,” Geoffrey Pierce snarled. “I’m tired of your interest in my activities, Andrew. Your constant hounding is the main reason I moved to the beach house.”

  “I’m sorry you’re upset, but you’re leaving me no choice. What is David Bryson’s connection to this secret society? I’ve been hearing some ugly whispers around town—”

  “I don’t pay attention to rumors and you’d be wise to follow my example.”

  “Normally I’d agree, however, if this society of yours is involved in something illegal that will bring scandal down on the entire family—”

  “Don’t you dare talk to me about scandal. I’m not the one with little bastards popping up, forcing me into a sham of a marriage with some cheap little waitress.”

  Brie bit down on a knuckle, feeling ill. Is that what they were saying in town? Drew didn’t challenge the assertion. It was Nancy Bell’s voice that knifed through the tension. Brie listened to the staccato click of her heels against the tiles as she approached the two men.

  “Actually, Dr. Pierce, Drew’s popularity around town has never been higher. His engagement to Brianna has only strengthened his position in the working man’s community.”

  “Of course. Wharf rats all love a Cinderella story,” he sneered. “Even when the prince is only marrying her to save his career.”

  “Drew! Don’t! He’s your uncle!”

  “I don’t care who he is,” Drew bit out in a deadly tone of voice Brie had never heard him use before.

  “I’m warning you for the last time. Stay out of my business,” Geoffrey hissed.

  “Drew! No! Let him go,” Nancy urged.